What is "Enough"?

The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

Naval Ravikant

At work and in school we’re told what is enough.

We’re given a blueprint to follow and we know exactly what we need to do to accomplish our objectives.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the same clear-cut definition of “enough” for our lives as a whole.

Is clocking in and out of work and watching TV when we’re home enough?

Do we even have to work? Do we have an obligation to donate money or time to help others? Do we need to pursue something bigger than ourselves? Can we forgo obligations and the status quo if we’re following our passion?

Some of us feel like we always should and could be doing more while others feel like they are already doing too much. And some of us flip-flop back and forth between both of these feelings.

We’re all fairly uncertain about what is “enough” for us to feel proud and at ease with our lives.

Searching for enough

We’re prone to thinking specific changes will make us feel like we’re doing enough and we can finally relax and coast knowing that we’re doing everything right.

If we can just make X per year or have a job with more flexibility or spend more time on hobbies or move somewhere new then we’ll feel like we’re doing enough with our lives.

Thinking about it logically we all know that won’t be the case and yet we fall in the same trap over and over again.

Our expectations rise and what was once a lofty goal becomes our new normal.

Focusing on what’s next

If we recognize that we’ll always feel like we could and should be doing more, then we can stop chasing “enough” and start focusing on what’s next.

Instead of worrying about doing more, we can enjoy the process of improving and adding to our lives.

This shift in mindset also removes the expectation from everything we’re pursuing.

Rather than doing everything with the hope that we’ll finally feel complete afterward, we can remove that pressure and enjoy our pursuits for their own sake.

There’s no such thing as “enough” so we shouldn’t waste energy chasing it.

The best we can do is be grateful for where we are today and carefully consider where we’re going next.

Prompts

1. Do you feel like you’re doing “enough” right now? Where do you feel like you should be doing more?

2. What are you chasing that you think (consciously or subconsciously) will make you feel like you’re doing “enough” once you accomplish or have it?

3. How can you shift your focus from doing “enough” to enjoying what comes next?

Deep Dive

• Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life - John C. Bogle

  • Insights on what constitutes "enough" from the founder of Vanguard.

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This post is part of Prompted, a Series on IH.

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